The Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy on Marital Disenchantment and Quality of Life in Couples with Marital Conflicts

Objective: Marital disenchantment, characterized by emotional detachment and loss of intimacy, is a common outcome of unresolved conflicts in long-term relationships. It often leads to decreased psychological well-being and lower quality of life among couples. Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) has shown promise in restoring emotional bonds and promoting relational satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy in reducing marital disenchantment and improving quality of life in couples experiencing marital conflict.

Methods and Materials: A quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test control group design was employed. The sample consisted of 30 participants (15 in the experimental group and 15 in the control group) referred to counseling centers in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to groups. The experimental group received eight sessions of EFT based on Greenberg's model. The Marital Disenchantment Questionnaire and the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were administered before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA to control for pre-test differences.

Findings: After adjusting for baseline scores, participants in the EFT group demonstrated a significant reduction in marital disenchantment (F= 15.72, p< .001, η²= 0.38) and a significant increase in overall quality of life (F= 12.95, p< .01, η² = 0.34) compared to the control group. The effect sizes indicate clinically meaningful changes in both outcomes.

Conclusion: Emotion-Focused Therapy appears to be effective in alleviating marital disenchantment and enhancing quality of life in couples experiencing relational distress. Future research with larger and more diverse samples is recommended to confirm these findings.